


Southern Livin'

by Self_Insert_Nonsense



Category: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Movies)
Genre: Blood and Gore, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Mutual Pining, slight slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:08:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25941106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Self_Insert_Nonsense/pseuds/Self_Insert_Nonsense
Summary: After being literally dumped by her fiance, Daisy finds herself with a family out in one of the emptiest parts of Texas, and forms a tentative friendship with them. Unfortunately for her, being close to this family means learning about some dark, uncomfortable secrets they keep to themselves.
Relationships: Leatherface | Thomas Brown Hewitt/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 41





	1. Chapter 1

Daisy stood quietly as she fanned herself. Texas heat was never a fun thing to deal with, and she was sure it had to be over 100 degrees right now. She decided to walk into the little gas station her fiancé was in, looking for something to snack on.

The lady behind the counter glanced up from her newspaper, then back down, uninterested. Daisy looked around as she inspected the items on the shelves. Her fiancé was muttering something to the lady behind the counter, and Daisy felt herself cringe. He was really trying her patience, wasn’t he?

She tried to ignore it, watching him storm out of the building. Sighing and rubbing her forehead, she walked over to the lady behind the counter, “I hope he wasn’t horrible.”

“Called me a few rude words when I explained we don’t accept cards,” the older woman replied. Daisy groaned, “Oh my god. I’m sorry ma’am. He didn’t take anything did he?”

“Pretty sure he took about $10 worth of stuff,” she replied coldly. Daisy opened her purse and pulled some cash out, “I’m sorry, I only have a 20. You can keep the extra ten if you’d like. I’m really sorry he did that. I’d give an excuse but really that’s just… it’s not good to do that and I don’t know what’s going on with him.”

The lady’s eyes softened for a moment, “Honey you don’t have to do that. Go find another $10 worth of stuff and we’ll be even.”

“Are you sure?”

“Sure as sugar, honey.”

Smiling sweetly, Daisy wandered through the small aisles, counting in her head how much certain items would cost before finding what she liked and bringing it back to the front.

“Ah, my boy likes that brand of chips,” the older woman said as she checked the items. Daisy smiled, “He has good taste then.”

“I like to think so,” she said with a fond smile, “What’s your name dear? Don’t get too many folk that are genuinely decent.”

“Oh! My name’s Daisy. Nice to meet you.”

“You look like a Daisy, so that name works real well with you.”

Daisy smiled, taking her items and waving goodbye. She frowned when she saw her fiancé standing there, arms folded and a frown on his face.

“Oh don’t look at me like that,” she said, getting in the car, “You were the one that decided to steal stuff.”

“She was being an asshole,” he replied, starting the car. He muttered some other rude things as the car revved. As they drove off, Daisy realized she didn’t ask the lady for her name in return. She frowned, thinking that maybe they could come back through this way later, and then she could ask the older lady her name.

“You gonna just ignore me the whole time?” Her fiancé asked, irritation in his voice. Daisy sighed and turned to look at him, “Hun, you’ve been in a weirdly bad mood all day, is something wrong?”

“No it’s fine. Nothing’s wrong,” he said quietly, but Daisy could hear the irritation still in his voice. Daisy leaned back in her chair and sighed, looking out at the sky as the sun began to sink over the horizon.

She knew the real reason he was acting like this. He’d been acting weird ever since she’d suggested a trip, just the two of them. It was like he didn’t want to be around her anymore and she was worried he was going to leave her. He would find reasons to get mad at her now and would argue with her about small, petty things that were completely insignificant.

Her thoughts were halted when the car stopped, “What happened?” She asked.

“The fucking car won’t start,” he said, his voice eerily calm. He got out of the car, walking around to inspect it. Daisy sat in the seat for a few minutes, before deciding to get out and see what was happening.

Her fiancé was acting…. Really strange. He was just walking slowly around the car, occasionally stopping and looking at a tire. Daisy stood off to the side slightly, watching him worriedly.

He got back into the car, the engine starting immediately. Daisy reached for her door, only to see him lock the doors. She jumped in surprise, looking at him in confusion. He rolled the window down, “I want to break up.”

He left her standing there, dumbfounded and heartbroken and pissed to high hell. She yelled angrily, “You fucking bastard!!! My stuff is in your car!”

She ran, hoping to catch up to him, the heartbreak finally setting in as well as the overwhelming fear. Tears filled her eyes and she finally stopped running, out of breath. She sank to the ground, sobbing.

No one was going to find her out here. Her bastard ex-fiance just left her to find her way here. She considered walking back, maybe finding the gas station again. But they’d driven far from it, and it might be a few hours.

Regardless, she decided it was her best option, turning and walking back to the gas station. She hoped it wasn’t too terribly far.

\--

She couldn’t take another step, but Daisy was thankful to find the gas station again. It was late, now. Darkness enveloped the flat, grassy plain around her. The gas station lights were off, so she knew the woman had gone home. Sitting on the ground, eyes filling with tears again, she rested her head on her knees. Her eyes grew heavy and she fell into a dreamless sleep.

She awoke several hours later, realizing she was in the back of a car. A police car. The man in the front seat glanced at her from the rearview mirror, “Well, good morning sunshine.”

“Oh gosh… Um, I’m sorry officer, I know I was probably loitering at that gas station, but my fiancé dumped me on the side of the road and-,” he waved a hand to silence her. Daisy felt her stomach drop, uneasy.

“Ah sure, sure. You can tell me everything when we get to where we’re goin’,” he muttered. Daisy sat in silence, looking out the window anxiously.

The man pulled up to a house, got out, and pulled Daisy out of the car. He was a little rough, his hand gripping her wrists a little too tightly. She wondered for a moment why they weren’t at a police station and felt a pang of fear go through her.

As soon as they got into the house, she asked, “Where are we going…?”

He didn’t respond, but the grin on his face sent her into fight or flight. Adrenaline took over and she wrenched her arms out of his grasp, running through the house. Sliding into the living room and seeing another man sitting there, sitting in a wheelchair, she froze. He stared right back at her before cursing under his breath.

“Hoyt she’s in here!”

“You son of a-,” Daisy started to say, only to stop when she heard his footsteps. Looking around frantically, she grabbed a lamp and yanked it out of the socket, bringing it down on the officer’s head as hard as she could. He crumpled to the ground, and Daisy ran out of the room.

She ran right into a man, a very, very large man. She looked up at him, her brown eyes imploring for some kind of help. He looked back down at her in confusion. She heard the officer getting back up, cursing at her angrily.

Daisy hid behind the large man, clinging to his arm, “Please don’t let him hurt me,” she said softly. The man, who Daisy had finally realized was wearing some kind of mask on the bottom half of his face, froze, looking at the officer in question.

“Move outta the way Tommy, she’s gotta be taken care of,” he told the large man angrily.

The man, Tommy, glanced back at Daisy, who was cowering behind him, holding onto his arm. He felt conflicted. She was using him for some kind of protection, something no one had really done before.

“Tommy, dammit, move!”

“Tommy, don’t move,” a new, familiar voice said. The woman from the gas station came into the room, “What the hell is that girl doing here?”

“Mama don’t get mad over some no-name girl,” the officer spat. She frowned and replied, “Her name is Daisy, you idiot. I told you to leave that one alone and to go after the boy.”

She peeked behind the tall man, looking at the woman, shaking, “Y…You’re from the gas station. Am I gonna die?” Tears pricked the corners of her eyes and she saw the older woman’s eyes soften.

“No honey. You’re not gonna die. Not when you got me and Tommy lookin’ out for you. Now, what happened to get you into this mess?”

\--

Luda Mae was pretty sure the man Thomas had just killed was this girl’s fiancé. He had been in the same car, and Hoyt had brought him in, saying something about him hoarding women’s possessions, as if he’d stolen them from someone.

The man had fought pretty hard, but not as hard as Daisy had. Luda Mae certainly hadn’t seen anyone use a lamp to hit Hoyt over the head before, and she was gonna be sure to make fun of him for it later.

But right now she wanted to make sure this girl was safe and comfortable. Daisy seemed like a nice girl, and she hadn’t been scared of Luda Mae’s boy, despite his size and appearance. Luda Mae wondered if she could make that work in her favor.

Daisy was sitting at the little bar in the kitchen, her long, blonde hair tied back in a loose bun. She glanced nervously at the doorway, and Luda Mae smiled, saying, “Don’t you worry. Hoyt’s not gonna bother you anymore.”

“Are you sure? He seemed pretty adamant about bothering me,” she said softly. Luda Mae smiled again, turning to the pot boiling on the stove, “I assure you, if he does anything, Tommy won’t be happy.”

“Tommy… That was the large man with the mask, right? The one I hid behind?”

“That’s right.”

“Is that your son?”

“Right again, honey. Thomas Hewitt.”

Daisy sat quietly, taking in the scenario she was currently in. Asking softly, “Why does he… wear that?”

Luda Mae turned to look at her sadly, “He’s a handsome young man. But unfortunately a lot of people don’t see him the way I do. So he wears that mask.”

Daisy nodded in understanding, not pressing further. She looked into the hallway again, “Where did he go, anyway?”

“Oh he’s downstairs. He has a lot of work down there he does for us, doesn’t really come up unless it’s to help Hoyt with some other labor, or for somethin’ to eat.”

“That sounds kind of lonely.”

“I think it is. But he seems to not mind it too much. I think he could use some friends, though. Poor boy didn’t really have many growing up.”

Daisy frowned sadly. She understood being a bit of an outcast. She hadn’t been popular in school, usually secluded by herself for not being considered popular material. She only wondered how badly Thomas must have been bullied as a child.

“So your fiancé just dumped you on the side of the road?” Luda Mae asked, changing the subject. Daisy’s eyes darkened, anger covering her features for a moment, “Yes.”

“Wanna talk about it? Why he might’ve done something so horrible to a nice girl like you?”

“I’m pretty sure he was cheating on me. Or at least didn’t love me anymore. He had been acting really weird for a couple of months. I suggested we go on a vacation, just the two of us. Try to rekindle our relationship, you know?” Daisy wasn’t sad about it anymore, she was just mad now, “He had been hiding things from me. I’ll never know what, but he had gotten really secretive over weirdly specific things.”

Luda Mae frowned, “Well you don’t gotta worry about him no more. You got us now. We’ll treat you better than he ever could’a dreamt.”

“I appreciate that… Even if this situation started out… less than ideal.”

“I am sorry Charlie decided to grab you. None of us really expected you to go back to the gas station, but it’s probably the best choice you made.”

“Is his name Charlie or Hoyt?”

“Oh it’s Charlie. But he goes by Hoyt now. Ever since he took that damn uniform,” Luda Mae sounded less than enthused about the situation, “We’ve all had to make some… changes, over the last few months.”

Daisy didn’t press further. Something told her that might be a bad idea. She suddenly froze, very aware of a new presence in the room. Glancing at the hallway door, she saw Thomas’ giant form engulfing the doorway. She smiled shyly at him, waving. He jumped in surprise, then walked slowly past her, his eyes never leaving her as he stopped in front of his mother.

“Oh are you done downstairs, Tommy?” She asked him. He nodded, his eyes glancing back at Daisy before he turned back to his mom.

“Why don’t you show our new guest around dear? I’m sure she could use some company closer to her own age,” Daisy didn’t know what she meant by that, but assumed that Thomas was probably the only one here who was either in his 20s or 30s.

He sighed, as if a little frustrated, but nodded. He headed out, stopping at the back door and looking at Daisy. She blinked in surprise and followed after him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i found out recently there's headcanons that Thomas CAN talk and just chooses not to, so I played with that a little.

Daisy was starting to wonder if this family was hiding something. Thomas sometimes came out of the basement covered in blood. Luda Mae explained that he used to work as a butcher and continues working downstairs, giving them food to eat.

Daisy wondered where they were getting meat from, and what kind of meat it was. It didn’t taste like cow or pig, she couldn’t really explain what it tasted like. Hoyt almost told her once but Luda Mae gave him a threateningly cold look.

She finally got her answer after staying with the family for a few weeks. Daisy was standing in the kitchen, cleaning some dishes, when a man ran into the room. He was bloody, his clothes torn and his arm injured badly. Daisy, terrified, said, “Who are you?!”

“Please you gotta help me! They’re crazy, all of them!” He said frantically, but paled when the sound of a chainsaw revving kicked in. Daisy jumped in surprise when Luda Mae ran into the room, “You need to come upstairs, now!”

Grabbing Daisy’s arm, Luda Mae and her ran up the stairs just as the front door kicked open. Daisy didn’t see what happened, but the man she had seen moments ago was screaming. The two women stepped into a room and Luda Mae shut the door. Daisy, still hearing the awful sounds, fell to the floor and covered her ears.

Luda Mae gently placed a hand on her shoulder, comforting her as best she could until the noise stopped. There were footsteps, and the door opened. Hoyt stood there, his mouth bleeding a little, “Tommy’s gonna go cut ‘em up and we’ll eat pretty good tonight.”

Luda Mae said something Daisy didn’t hear. She was going into shock, she was pretty sure. Her body felt weightless, her stomach turned. Shaking violently, she turned to Luda Mae, “What… did he mean by that…”

Luda Mae just frowned and replied, “We had to do what we could to survive out here.”

Daisy felt like she was going to throw up. She could taste bile in her throat.

People. They were eating people.

They probably were going to eat her that day Hoyt brought her home.

She stood, running to the nearby bathroom and retching, falling to her knees. Tears streamed down her face as she threw up. Luda Mae left her alone, knowing Daisy probably didn’t want to be around anyone right now.

\--

Daisy emerged hours later, pale and shaking. Luda Mae sighed, “I know you’re probably horrified, believe me, we all were at first. It was all Hoyt’s idea originally. But it helped us get by.”

“Why didn’t you move?” Daisy asked softly. Monty had told her about how the family had refused to move when the butcher plant had shut down, saying something about Hoyt being a stubborn jackass.

“This is our home, Daisy. We couldn’t just up and leave.”

Daisy understood that, “But… people?”

“I know what you’re thinkin’. Yes, it’s horrible. But we’re survivin’ out here.”

“And I…?” Daisy was unsure if she could finish what she started saying. Luda Mae just nodded, “You did. But now that you know, you probably don’t wanna eat it, right?”

She didn’t. She really didn’t. The idea of cannibalism was so horrible to her that Luda Mae noticed Daisy’s face go green again, “Listen, honey. I’ll make sure to make you somethin’ without meat if it’ll make you feel better. We’ll say you went vegetarian or somethin’, alright? You’re part of this family now and we’re gonna treat you that way. I just hope that you don’t view us too harshly after this revelation.”

“Who had the chainsaw?”

Luda Mae was silent. Daisy asked again, “Who. Had… Who had the chainsaw?”

“…Thomas.”

Daisy felt sick again. She had a feeling it had been him but the idea of the large, quiet man who had been following her around as pleasant company was also completely okay with chainsawing someone in half made her uncomfortable.

“Please you gotta understand,” Luda Mae said quickly, “He doesn’t like doin’ it. He never did. Don’t get upset with him. It’s been so long since he’s had someone around who treated him like he was normal.”

Daisy sighed, “…Alright. Alright. I can understand… that, I suppose. You guys are all he has and…,” she sighed, “I’ll try not to let it get in the way.”

“Thank you honey. I promise, you’ll get used to it.”

And that was mostly the truth. Over the next several weeks, the family ate the food Daisy couldn’t bring herself to talk about, while she ate food that had no meat in it whatsoever. Hoyt knew the reason, but he had already had a talk with Luda Mae about it, knowing she wasn’t mad.

Thomas refused to look at Daisy, however. He knew that she knew, now, as well. He worried that she thought of him as some kind of horrible monster. Daisy didn’t mind at first. The fact that she could walk around the farm without someone following her around was nice. Until it wasn’t, and Daisy found herself being kind of lonely.

She watched from the kitchen one day, watching Thomas as he helped carry some heavy something for Hoyt. She considered, for a moment, going out there and talking to him.

Luda Mae startled her, “Daisy, honey, could you be a dear and go bring some drinks out to Hoyt and Tommy? Those two working out in the heat could cause ‘em to pass clean out.”

“Oh, sure. Er, yes ma’am, I mean…,” she mumbled. Luda Mae smiled and handed her two cool glasses, “Go on now.”

Daisy walked outside. It really was hot, probably hotter than the day before. She was pretty sure she was beginning to get used to it, though. Walking over to Thomas and Hoyt, she smiled and said, “Ms. Luda Mae asked me to bring you two something cool.”

Hoyt smiled, giving Daisy just a little discomfort, “Thank you darlin’, that was sure sweet of you. Tommy, put that thing down and get over here. Your little girlfriend brought us some drinks.”

Daisy’s face flushed, but she noticed Thomas’ face, what she could see of it, was dark red too. She wondered if that was from the heat or the offhanded comment Hoyt made.

“Oh, we’re-… we’re not, I mean.. We hardly…,” Daisy stuttered, handing Hoyt one of the glasses. Thomas walked over and stood awkwardly, shuffling his feet and looking away. Daisy handed him a glass, smiling a little at him.

“Um… do you… I mean… Thomas would you like to walk around the farm with me later? We haven’t done that in a few days and I realized I’d gotten kind of used to it,” she said, her words fumbling. She was a little intimidated by him. He was big, completely towering over her tiny frame.

Thomas hesitated, staring down at her, his hand holding the glass shaking a little. After what felt like an eternity, he nodded slightly. Daisy smiled, still intimidated, and turned to walk back to the house, saying, “I’ll come find you later.”

Luda Mae, watching from the window, smiled. She really wanted this girl and her boy to get together. If she could get them to be around each other enough, then maybe there’d be some hope there.

\--

Daisy smiled as she waited, looking out at the sun as it was starting to set. The sky had a vibrant red to it, which made her smile falter a little. What was she doing? She was by herself. Surely she could run. Leave and never come back. She could probably run before anyone noticed. She could get away from the horror of what she knows.

So why wasn’t she doing it? She told herself it was because she knew they would come after her, that maybe Stockholm Syndrome was kicking in, anything except that the reason that she might actually enjoy being around these people.

Thomas stood there for a moment before making a noise to make Daisy aware of his presence. She jumped, turning around and seeing him, “How long have you been standing there?”

He shrugged, not speaking. He could, if he wanted to, but he just preferred to stay silent, keeping his thoughts to himself. Daisy turned and looked at the sunset again, sighing, “I hope you don’t think I’m afraid.”

He looked at her in confusion, she elaborated, “Of you. I hope you don’t think I’m afraid of you. Your mama told me that you… don’t like butchering those… people. So I guess I kind of sympathize with you, in a weird way. You’re big, probably could snap me in half since I’m so tiny compared to you. But if you had wanted to do that, you would have. But I mean… I feel like you want to be friends with me? And I realized that it really does get… kinda lonely out here.”

“…Sometimes.”

She blinked in surprise, “You can talk? I mean… Of course you can talk, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have just assumed… um…,” her face was red, clearly embarrassed.

“Don’t like talking.”

“Oh…,” she chewed on her lip, looking at him for a moment and then back to the sky. The sun was lower, the blood red changing to soft pinks and purples. She noticed some clouds in the distance, “Is it supposed to rain?”

“Storm’s comin’.”

He really wasn’t much for talking, but she liked that he was talking to her, even if it was only in little snippets. She started walking back to the house, turning and smiling, “You coming?”

He nodded, following after her. His heart hammered in his chest as he watched her walk. She was pretty, real pretty. The moment he had first seen her, he’d been completely enamored, and his mama knew it too. She told him she was gonna try and get the two of them together, but he had asked her to not interfere and just let things go naturally. If and only if Daisy was interested too.

He was pretty sure she wasn’t, but at least she was nice to him.


	3. Chapter 3

This was the third storm this week, and it looked like the worst. Daisy watched from the window in the living room. Luda Mae was sitting on the couch sewing, Thomas was downstairs as usual, Hoyt and Monty were off doing God knows what. The house was silent, peaceful.

Thomas stomped up the stairs, causing Daisy to jump in surprise, before looking back outside after waving hello. The rain came down heavy and fast, it was almost hypnotic to her.

“Do you think there’ll be a tornado?” Daisy asked quietly, watching anxiously. Thomas snorted but said nothing, leaving the room again to go find something. Luda Mae frowned, “No honey, we’d let you know if there’s a tornado comin’. You’d know.”

Daisy nodded, looking back outside at the storm. The sky was almost black due to the clouds, you wouldn’t even know it was the afternoon.

Deciding to get up and walk around the house some, Daisy wandered through the halls till she found Thomas, sitting and staring at the window in the kitchen.

“You could have come sit in there with me, I wouldn’t have minded,” she said, startling him. He turned and looked at her for a moment, then looked back at the storm.

“Looks like it might be lightening up a little,” she said, noticing the sky had lightened slightly in her short walk through the house. Thomas nodded, sneaking a glance at her. She had her hair up in a complete ponytail today, different from her usual hairstyle. He liked it, but didn’t say anything.

A loud clap of thunder caused Daisy to jump, her hand reaching out and grabbing his arm. He looked at her in surprise, before muttering, “Scared?”

“No, I mean yes but… I dunno, thunder just kinda makes me jump,” she laughed, gently removing her hand from his arm. He watched her silently as she moved next to him, sitting on a chair she’d pulled up.

“It’s kinda nice having someone to talk to. I mean, I usually talk to Luda Mae but… I guess it’s nice to talk to someone that listens.”

“You can call her mama, you know,” he said softly. That was the most Daisy had ever heard him say. She smiled, “I know, but I don’t know if I can, just yet.”

He nodded, understanding. Thomas looked back out the window, watching the rain come down. Daisy hummed a song, something he didn’t recognize. He turned to look at her in question.

“What? My humming? I do that all the time, I’m surprised you hadn’t noticed before.”

He was too. He tended to stick around her a lot. Hoyt had wanted him to keep an eye on her from the beginning, just in case she tried to leave. Thomas was pretty sure she wasn’t leaving anytime soon. Which he was grateful for.

“Does it gross you out? The eating people thing, I mean,” Daisy asked quickly, “I meant to ask you that yesterday and it slipped my mind. Luda Mae says it grosses her out but she feels like there’s no choice, Monty doesn’t care, and Hoyt…,” she trailed off, grimacing slightly.

“Don’t like it,” he muttered. Daisy nodded, “It’s… Hoyt said you get used to it-,”

“You don’t.”

“Oh…,” Daisy mumbled. She fiddled with the hem of her skirt, unsure of what to talk about. She glanced at him, curious about a lot of things.

“I wanna know more about you but I don’t know where to start,” she finally muttered.

Thomas turned and looked at her, waiting to see if she asked anything. She thought for a moment, before finally saying, “How is Hoyt related to you?”

“Uncle.”

“Oh. Monty?”

“Uncle.”

“Really. I suppose that makes sense, they look like brothers. So Luda Mae’s their sister?”

He nodded, waiting to hear her next question, dreading it.

It wasn’t what he expected, “What happened to your dad?”

“Don’t know. Adopted.”

“Oh,” that caught her off guard. He looked back at the window, “Tell me ‘bout you,” he said quietly.

“You want to know about me? Um… Ok… I was born in a small town in Oklahoma, but only lived there a few years before moving to north Texas. Um… I never had many friends growing up,” she noticed him look at her in surprise at the statement. She continued, “I was always kind of the outcast? I don’t know why, there was never really anything I did that was considered different, I’m kind of boring, I guess? I met my fiancé in high school, and we dated after we graduated, then got engaged about a year ago. He kept pushing the wedding date back.”

Thomas noticed her face fall as she talked about her now ex-fiancé, “The one who dumped you?”

“Yeah. The one who dumped me. It’s a shame, I really liked him, I think. He was always kind of pushy, and I’m starting to wonder if maybe he was more manipulative than I initially realized…,” she pulled a loose string off her skirt, “He always told me he wanted me to be more like a proper Southern girl, whatever the hell that means.”

Thomas chuckled under his breath, “Sounds rude.”

“He kinda was. He was really rude to your mom the day he dumped me. I was so mad. He tried to steal some stuff from the gas station. I paid for it.”

“Mama told me.”

“Oh! I didn’t… really know she would have said something about it.”

“Before you got here. Right before.”

Daisy smiled a little. So that explained a few things. She sighed, “I think my ex was cheating on me with someone. I talked to your mama about it, and while I keep telling myself it’s time to get over it, I keep getting so… angry.”

Thomas was silent, wondering for a brief moment just how angry that man had made Daisy. He knew what cheating was, though he himself had never experienced it. Hoyt had told him all about relationship situations that were considered less than ideal.

“Sorry,” he finally said. It was all that came to mind. He was wondering why he was so talkative today, blaming the weather cooping everyone in the house.

“Ah, don’t be, it’s all over now, right? I’ll probably get completely over it someday,” she chuckled. She still looked unsure, however, finally saying softly, “He probably found someone prettier.”

“Doubt it.”

That surprised her. She turned to look at him, a small smile forming on her face, “Aw, you think I’m pretty?”

He didn’t say anything, nodding slightly and staring at the window intently. She grinned, “Thanks Tommy, I needed that confidence boost.”

His face was burning. That was a first, she usually called him Thomas. He scratched his arm nervously, “Tell me more?”

“About me?” He nodded at her question, so she continued, “My mom died when I was born, and my dad died a couple years ago. Heart condition, bad eating habits, the works... I miss him. I never really had a mom in my life, now that I think about it. He dated a few times, but ultimately decided no one would replace my mom and stayed single till he passed away.”

Thomas found that both very sad and oddly romantic. Her dad loved her mom so much he couldn’t bear being with anyone else.

“So I guess in a way, finding this little family has been kind of a welcome change. Luda Mae really is kind of like the mom I never had, although I’m still getting to know y’all,” Thomas couldn’t help but smile at her slight drawl. She’d been somewhat forcing it away, as if embarrassed, but had really gotten into the habit of talking like the rest of them.

“The cannibalism thing still grosses me out, but I’m… willing to look past it, and kind of pretend it’s just weird cow. I didn’t eat much meat to begin with, so I don’t feel too horrible for not eating it. Plus I talked to your mama about it and she understood, which was nice.”

The storm had finally lightened up, the sun trying to peek through the clouds. Thomas didn’t notice, he was still listening to Daisy talk.


	4. Chapter 4

Daisy was sitting, minding her own, when someone walked into the room. Oh no, she thought, not again.

“Are you Daisy?” The girl, willowy and pale with short hair, asked excitedly. Daisy, hesitant at first, nodded slowly.

“I’m Henrietta. I live nearby, my mama is related to Aunt Luda Mae. I’ve been dyin’ to meet you since she told my mama about you.”

“Oh. Oh! Your mother is the nice lady Luda Mae invited for tea!”

“Indeed I did. How are you sweetheart,” Luda Mae have Henrietta a hug, “Your mama here?”

“She’s just outside. Will be in in a jiffy.”

Somehow Daisy got roped into the situation, sitting with Luda Mae and the other two women.

“I didn’t really even know there was anyone else out here,” Daisy said. The older woman, who Daisy referred to in her head as The Tea Lady, or just Tea, laughed in response.

“We don’t go out very often. This heat is absolutely killer.”

Daisy nodded, thankful to be indoors. She glanced outside to see Thomas working on something. Her mind wandered a little, thinking about what they would talk about later.

Henrietta seemed to notice, “He sure is handsome isn’t he?” She joked.

“Huh what?” Daisy jumped, surprised.

“Tommy.”

“Oh. I...,” she glanced over at the window again. Sure, she thought, despite not seeing his face he could be considered handsome. His personality was certainly kind to her.

“Sure,” she mumbled, her face heating up. Henrietta smiled warmly, “Miss Luda Mae told us that you and Tommy like to walk around the farm.”

“It’s a nice break from monotonous activities,” Daisy replied. Luda Mae smiled knowingly, but said nothing. Tea sipped her drink, laughing lightly.  
“You think you and Tommy might get together? I think he might like you.”

“Oh Henrietta, I don’t think he does.”

“He’s staring at us.”

Daisy froze, her eyes turning and catching Thomas’ eyes. He blinked and turned away quickly, as if embarrassed.

All the women laughed, even Daisy joined in. It felt almost normal.

—

“Were you staring at us?” Daisy asked. Thomas shuffled his feet and said nothing, sitting on the ground.

Daisy plopped down beside him, her legs kicked out flat so her skirt was lying casually on top. He glanced quickly at her before looking away.

“I gotta say, I didn’t really expect to make friends out here. I mean, technically y’all kidnapped me and stuff but I feel like I’m staying of my own free will now.”

“That’s nice,” his voice was rough, but soft in tone. Daisy kind of liked it.

“I wish you’d talk more. You got a pleasant voice, Tommy.”

He felt his face heat up, but said nothing. This was the nicest thing he’s ever dealt with. Made him feel almost normal.

“Did I ever tell you about Dick? I mean Richard, my now ex-fiancé?”

He shook his head. Daisy shrugged and muttered, “He started out nice I guess. He was charming, maybe too charming. I was so completely enamored I don’t think I noticed he even had faults the first few years we dated.”

Thinking back on it, Daisy realized just how unhappy she had been, laughing with no humor.

“Is it so awful that I seem happier now with the family of cannibals than I was with the normal guy? Maybe I really am getting Stockholm Syndrome.”

Thomas frowned. He didn’t know what that was, but to him it sounded uncomfortable.

“It’s probably for the best. I don’t wanna talk about Dick anymore, let’s talk about something else.”  
Thomas nodded, understanding the situation got really uncomfortable for her.

The sun had almost set at this point, and the stars were beginning to show up. Daisy smiled.

“You know, I lived in the city before, and you couldn’t ever see the stars like you do out here. Too much light pollution. It’s nice. Seeing them out here.”

Thomas had never been to the city, so he didn’t really know what it was like. His mama told him it was loud and obnoxious. Hoyt told him similar. So he never thought about it.

“It’s so much quieter, too. Which is really nice. Cities never sleep, I guess. I never liked it too much. Nice to visit, but not to live in.”

Thomas looked at her as she gazed at the stars, her brown eyes warm and inviting when she turned to look at him. His heart skipped, thinking about how her eyes reminded him of that chocolate his mama used to make back when he was just a boy.

His eyes were so dark, Daisy thought, you could get lost so easily. They were almost black, but they weren’t cold. She hadn’t realized she had been leaning forward till her shoulder bumped his. Moving away, she smiled, “It’s gettin’ kinda late, early morning tomorrow. Luda Mae wants me to go with her to the gas station tomorrow. Think you can survive without me here?”

He smiled, something Daisy realized she hadn’t seen before. She patted his cheek, “You should do that more often. It suits you.”

With that, she stood and walked back to the house, unaware of how much she had affected him. He held his hand to his face, a blush blooming across his cheeks as he watched her walk back to the house. His heart pounded in his chest, and he wondered how long he could hold off until he finally confessed his growing feelings for her.

Not yet, he thought. Not yet. Maybe not ever.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains some mentions of sexual assault. I tried to be kinda vague about it but Hoyt is my least favorite and I had to write him at one of his worst moments you know?

Of all the things Daisy had expected coming to gas station where it all began, seeing her very disheveled ex-fiancé was not one of them.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Daisy asked. She was grateful Luda Mae was in the back getting some things. Last thing anyone needed was a confrontation.

“Wanted to see if you were still here,” he said softly, “Got my car stolen.”

“Not my problem,” Daisy sneered. Good, she thought, maybe that’ll teach you not to dump people on the side of the road.

“I’m sorry I did that. I wasn’t in the right headspace. I was coming back to get you when my car got jacked.”

Daisy rolled her eyes and walked over to a small shelf, stocking it with little protein bars.

“I’m serious! Meanwhile you’re just... what are you even doing out here?”

“I don’t have anyone back home so I thought I’d just live here. The lady who runs this store is very kind and she’s letting me stay with her family.”

“Daisy that’s fucking weird you can’t just live off people like that.”

“Why not? That’s basically what you did when we were dating.”

Before he could reply, Luda Mae walked in. Her eyes narrowed slightly at the sight of Daisy’s ex-fiancé.

He glanced between them, holding his hands up as he said, “No worries... I was just leaving.”

He left the building, and Daisy felt like her body was a deflating balloon. She leaned on the counter and pressed her forehead against it.

“What the hell was that about?” Luda Mae asked. Daisy looked up and shrugged.

“He came in here all whiny about his car getting stolen and then he tried to apologize for dumping me off the side of the road.”

“Did you forgive him?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Good girl,” Luda Mae patted her hand, “You don’t need that kind of man in your life. You need someone who’ll support you through just about anything.”

Daisy wondered for a moment if Luda Mae was going to attempt matchmaking Daisy with Thomas, something she’d been wondering for a little while now.

Luda Mae just smiled and told her to get back to work.

—

At dinner, it was strangely silent. Daisy poked at her salad as she tried not to look up. Hoyt was grinning about something.

She didn’t like Hoyt. Or whatever his real name was. Luda Mae told her at one point, but she didn’t remember. All she knew was he went by Hoyt now. He made her uncomfortable, with his shit eating grin and his gross views toward women.

There’d been women brought to the house a few times. Before they were killed... Hoyt usually had a go with them. Daisy couldn’t imagine how many nights she covered her ears, hoping to god the screaming would stop.

She was grateful to Tommy for basically saving her that day she stumbled into their lives.

“Heard that your bastard ex boyfriend came by the gas station,” Hoyt finally said. Daisy placed her fork down and glanced at Luda Mae, who shook her head. She hadn’t told him.

“Yes he came by. But he left just as quickly,” Daisy muttered, picking her fork up and stabbing a piece of lettuce. Thomas watched her silently, wondering what Hoyt was about to do.

“Uh huh... how long’d you two date again?”

“A couple of years...,” she said softly, hoping to god he wasn’t about to ask what she was thinking he’d ask.

“You two fuck any?”

Thomas slammed his hands on the table, startling everyone including himself.

“Charlie what that girl does is none of your business!” Luda Mae yelled.

Daisy felt like her body was on fire as she gripped the fork in her hand. She pushed her plate away, “Excuse me.”

She left the room quickly, causing Luda Mae to look at Thomas and nod in her direction.

Confused, Thomas got up but Hoyt held his hand up, “Wait.”

Seconds later, Daisy came busting back in, tears in her eyes. But she didn’t look upset. She looked mad.

“Now you listen here you son of a bitch,” she said coldly, “Every damn night I hear you soundin’ like a dyin’ cat and having to pretend I don’t hear a god damned thing. You don’t get to ask that shit about me when I am forced to hear every fuckin’ detail of your own disgusting sex life. You ask me somethin’ like that again and I’ll take Tommy’s god damned chainsaw and slice you in half!” With that, she turned and walked out again.

Hoyt leaned back in his chair, “She was getting too soft. I knew there was a spitfire under that pretty exterior. Probably one hell of a fu-.”

“Shut the hell up,” Thomas’ voice was soft, but firm.

Hoyt blinked in surprise, “Well well... He speaks! What do you wanna tell me Tommy.”

“Don’t talk about Daisy like that anymore. It ain’t right. She’s been good to us and you’re treatin’ her like one of the...,” he was gonna say victims but stopped himself, shaking his head.

Everyone was quiet. It had been the most Thomas had said in one sitting. Even Hoyt was surprised.

—

Daisy sat by the window, angry tears still streaming down her face, when a hand touched her shoulder.

She turned to see Thomas standing there. She quickly brushed the tears off her face.

“Why aren’t you with them?”

“Hoyt won’t bother you no more,” he said softly, sitting in the chair near her. She blinked in surprise, wondering what happened.

“He most certainly won’t,” Luda Mae walked in, “Not after the verbal lashin’ Tommy gave him. He wanted to get under skin honey, don’t let him bother you, you hear?”

Daisy nodded, “It’s just such a gross and private thing to talk about.”

“He’s gross,” Thomas mumbled, getting a playful swat to the back of his head.

“He might be gross but he’s still your uncle. I ain’t opposed to someone talkin’ sense into him once in a while so I’m lettin’ that slide. But both of you better just ignore when he does that from now on,” Luda Mae said sternly.

“Yes, ma’am,” they both said.

Satisfied, Luda Mae walked over and sat on the couch, sighing in relief that it was over for now.


End file.
